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Crunches are standard exercise, but that's because they work, especially when it comes to strengthening your abdominal muscles and your core. Lie flat on your back, hands behind your head, knees bent. “Crunch” yourself up, twisting slightly so your left elbow touches your right knee, then lower yourself back to the ground. Crunch again, this time with your right elbow touching your left knee. Repeat so you do 24 crunches, 3 times.
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Balance balls are becoming much more popular, primarily because they can make a lot of exercises -- like crunches -- even more successful. To do this crunch, lie with a balance ball in the small of your back, with your feet apart, placed firmly on the ground. Do three sets of 12 crunches, and you'll feel your core struggling to keep you on balance. Fantastic!
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Remember that incline bench from item #4? You're going to use it again for this, one of the VERY best muffin top exercises. Sit on the bench, feet up, then slowly lower yourself back, but only half-way... then sit all the way up again. It's a lot harder than it sounds. Do three sets of 12. If you do this exercise several times every week, you'll start seeing a huge difference in no time.
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We make two mistakes with the rowing machine: one, we don't consider it one of the best exercises for muffin top, and two, we let our BACKS do the work, rather than our arms and core. Sit with your back straight during the ENTIRE rowing motion, or you'll kill the effect, and you may even hurt your back.
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The elliptical machine truly provides a whole-body workout, including one to combat muffin top. Do 30 good, heart-thumping minutes on the elliptical, and include a 5 minute warm up and an 8 minute cool down. Workout complete, muffin top banished! If you have trouble with longer workouts, especially when you're first starting to exercise, just distract yourself. Listen to music, even watch TV, anything to make that half hour pass faster.
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You'd be surprised how beneficial leg lifts are when you're trying to banish that muffin top. You'll also be surprised at how many you can do! Lie flat on your back with your arms at your sides. Lift both legs off the ground, keeping them straight, about 6 inches off the ground. Hold for 30 seconds (or as close to 30 seconds as you can!), then slowly lower them. Are your abs burning yet?
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Mountain climbers are fantastic muffin top exercises, and although they're simple, they're very intense. You start out in the same position used for a standard push-up, so you're basically on your hands and your toes. Once there, pull your right knee in toward your chest, with your foot still resting on the floor. Then you want to jump up and, while you're in the air, switch your feet, so that when you resume the position, your left knee is against your chest and your right leg is switched out behind you. Repeat this as quickly but as safely as you can for about a minute.
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For this, you can do either the standard or modified push-up. I know they can be difficult, so if you need to start out on your hands and knees, don't worry about it. Work up the strength of your arms, and then move on to the standard version. Once you've started doing push-ups regularly, you'll be amazed at how many you can do. Soon you won't even have to think about doing a modified push-up!
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Donkey kicks are ideal for getting rid of a muffin top, and they'll make your legs look awesome as well. Get down on all fours, making sure that your stomach is pulled in and your back is straight. Kick back your left leg and stretch it behind you, as straight as you can; hold that pose for about 5 seconds, then alternate with your left leg. Repeat this exercise 10 times for each side.
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Jumping rope is fun! It can also help you eliminate your muffin top. It's simple, but super effective. Because it's a pastime for so many of us, it won't even feel like exercise. This is one of those exercises that you can basically do for as long as you're able. Maybe because I had so much fun with it as a kid, I also recommend seeing if you can find a Skip-It. Yeah, it's a toy, but if you get a rhythm going, you can also use it to skip or jump while you're walking around the park or the track, so you can do two exercises at once.
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Swimming is similarly helpful, especially since it works all your muscles. It's a lot of fun and it's extremely versatile, which is always an awesome trait in any exercise. The best part is that swimming is also non-intensive, so you can exercise a lot more without tiring yourself out too much. You can swim recreationally, do purposeful laps, or you can...
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Squats are great for several reasons. In addition to helping you work off any love handles, they'll also tone your butt. I mean for real, you'll end up with a taut little bubble butt. You'll get "buns of steel" all on your own. Squats are simple to do and they keep your thighs in good shape as well, so you really can't go wrong. You can take five minutes each day to do them easily, even if you're at work.
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A forward lunge is basically a standard lunge. You start out standing and then step forward into the typical lunge formation. You can step out using your right foot or your left foot but either way, keep the opposite glute contracted. Just step forward into the next lunge without losing your position, and start out with about 10 reps for each leg.
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A lateral lunge takes place in the opposite direction. Start out stepping to the right, naturally using your right foot, while your feet stay flat and your toes remain pointed forward. Keep your left leg as straight as possible and squat using your right hip. Make sure you squat down as low as you can and hold the pose for 2 seconds, then do this for your left side. Again, 10 reps for each leg is a great starting point!
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The reverse lunge will help you get rid of your love handles, too! Stand up straight and keep your feet together. Step backward, exercising complete control, with your left foot and bend your right knee. Make sure you step back far enough. Then, get down as low as you can and hold that position for 2-5 seconds before switching legs.
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Planking? Helpful with muffin tops! You betcha! It may look like a silly meme, but planking is actually really intense – and, as you'll see, there are several variations. To get your standard plank on, lie down on your stomach and keep your legs straight, then gradually lift up with the help of your toes and your hands. At this point, it looks kind of like you're doing a push up. If you can't hold yourself on your arms, you can brace with your forearms instead. Just make sure that your stomach is pulled in and your back is as straight as possible. You need to hold the position for at least 10 seconds, but if you can go longer, have at it!
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Planking is awesome because it works your abs and your core – especially side planking. This is a little more difficult, but with practice you'll be an expert! Side planking involves lying down on the ground, on your right side. Keep that hand on the floor – or use your elbow if you need the extra brace. Keeping your side as straight as possible, lift up so that your body creates a plank-like shape. Keep your other arm against your side. Again, hold this pose for at least 10 seconds, then trying your other side.
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Yep, if you have a stability ball, you can also plank. This is one of the best planking exercises for muffin top if you're a beginner. It's basically exactly like traditional planking, except that your upper half is supported by your exercise ball. Thanks to the extra stability, however, you should be able to hold the planking pose for as long as a minute.
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Simple jumping jacks can get rid of that dreaded bulge, too. You naturally bounce around when you do jumping jacks, and while that might feel really silly, I promise you that it's helpful. Start out with just 10 or 20, but if you do them every day, make it a game; see how many you can do at a stretch before you get fired or winded. You can intersperse them with lunges and toe-touches to get more of a workout at once.
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Inchworms are a different kind of push up, except you go in the opposite direction. You start out in the standard push-up position, and do a single push-up. Then you lift your hips as high as you can, so that your butt is in the air but your hands and feet are on the ground. Moving slowly, inch your feet toward your hands, but make sure you keep your knees straight. Then you slowly inch your hands away from your feet, so you're back in the starting position, at which point you lower yourself back into the push-up pose. When you begin, 10 reps are perfect.
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Chin ups are hard, but they're worth it. It's the twisting motion you generally have to use to hoist yourself up that makes them essential for getting rid of any muffin topping situations. In addition, you're building up serious strength in your arms, which will help you with many of the other exercises listed here. Now, I know chin ups can be really difficult, so you can modify them at first, and work your way up to the traditional technique.
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